1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to threaded connections with insulative properties. More specifically, the present invention relates to threaded connections made electrically insulative by a composite insulating layer containing insulating fibers. The threaded connections retain a high percentage of the mechanical properties of a similar, conventional and non-insulated threaded connection.
2. Background Art
There is a requirement in many widely varying applications for a threaded connection between two tubular steel members (such as pipe or tubular structural steel) that will carry high loads in tension, compression, bending, and torsion while providing electrical insulation between the two tubular steel members.
In various oilfield applications, for example, it is sometimes desirable to be able to electrically isolate a portion of a tubular string (e.g., drill pipe, casing or tubing) from the rest of the string. For example, electrical isolation may be used to provide a magnetic coupling for data transmission or to electrically isolate downhole instruments.
In oil and gas production, it is sometimes desirable to electrically isolate carbon steel pipe from Corrosion Resistant Alloy (“CRA”) pipe used in the same string of pipe to prevent galvanic corrosion of the carbon steel pipe, particularly in a string of tubing used downhole in which the string is submerged in an electrolytic fluid such as brine.
In industrial piping applications, such as in refineries or chemical plants, it is often desirable to electrically isolate sections of pipe-work from one another. In the supply pipe to a gas meter, for example, it may be desirable to use electrically insulated pipe connectors to provide a controlled stop for electrical current that is passed along the supply pipe, for example to trace the path of the pipe. It may also be desirable to use electrically insulated connectors in an active cathodic protection system for a pipeline. Electrically insulated pipe connectors may be particularly valuable when metal pipes of different materials, such as steel and copper, are to be joined together in order to avoid galvanic corrosion, or to break stray currents induced in the piping from outside electrical sources, such as a nearby power transmission line.
In transmission of radio waves, it may be desirable to join together sections of tubular antenna structures with a mechanically strong threaded connection that also serves to electrically isolate one section of the structure from another.
In electrical power transmission, it may be desirable to electrically isolate one section of an electric power transmission tower from another section without losing a large percentage of the mechanical strength of a structural member which joins the two sections.
Those skilled in the art will understand that this list of applications for a tubular connection that provides electrical isolation between the members is not comprehensive, and that many other applications may benefit from such a connection.
In view of the above, several connections having electrical isolation exist in the prior art. Prior art electrically-insulated tubular connections divide into two groups: threaded and non-threaded. One type of non-threaded electrically insulated connection of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,147 (“the '147 patent”). The '147 patent discloses an electrically insulated flanged pipe joint. Flanged joints are used extensively in chemical process plants and refineries. One connection disclosed as an embodiment of the '147 patent has two metal tubular parts, each having a flange at one end. The two tubular parts are coupled by a metal coupling sleeve surrounding the flanges and narrowing behind the flanges. A metal ring is located between both flanges, the outer diameter of which is greater than that of both flanges and which has its inner periphery in contact with the coupling sleeve. At both sides of the metal ring, an electrically insulating seal ring is disposed. In addition, an electrical insulation is disposed between the coupling sleeve and the first and second tubular parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,161 discloses another type of electrically-insulated flanged pipe connections with a tubular element inserted into a flange. One end of the tubular element is adapted to connect to a pipeline, and the other end is adapted to a ring-shaped electrically insulating element, which is positioned between the tubular element and the flange. Flanged or flange-like electrically insulated connectors for pipes or the like are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,231,202, 3,441,293, and 3,503,632.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,174 discloses an electrically insulated drill collar gap sub assembly for a toroidal-coupled telemetry system with two essentially tubular members separated by a continuous gap. A dielectric material fills the gap to electrically isolate the first annular sub member with respect to the second annular sub member. A bearing member is positioned between the first member and the second member and is coated with a dielectric insulation to facilitate the formation of a drill collar gap sub assembly having a degree of structural and electrical integrity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,325 discloses a “measurement-while-drilling” system that uses an electro-magnetic (“EM”) telemetry link between down-hole instruments and ground surface instruments. One feature of the communication system is a combination of a sensing toroid and insulated gaps in the drill string interrupting electrical continuity so as to force all currents propagating in the strata and pipe string to flow through the axial opening of the sensing toroid via a conduction path dictated by considerations of electrical design rather than by mechanical constraints, thus enabling the effective electrical length of the drill string below the down-hole module to be optimized.
Threaded connections are generally of three types, defined by their characteristics at make-up: radial interference threads, shouldered connections, and wedge threads. As used herein, “make-up” refers to threading a pin member and a box member together. “Selected make-up” refers to threading the pin member and the box member together with a desired amount of torque, or based on a relative position (axial or circumferential) of the pin member with the box member.
In radial interference connections, at least one of the pin member and the box member is tapered such that, when the connection is made-up to a selected make-up, there is a prescribed amount of radial interference between the threads. FIG. 1A shows the thread-form of a typical radial interference connection. In FIG. 1A, the thread is an API “round” thread, which is used extensively in casing and tubing connections in the oilfield. The standard National Pipe Thread (NPT) is another example of a commonly used radial interference connection. This radial interference connection includes a male “pin” member 10 and a female “box” member 11. The pin member 10 has stab flank 12A, load flank 13A, crest 14A, and root 15A. The box member 11 has stab flank 12B, load flank 13B, crest 14B, and root 15B. Stab flanks 12A and 12B are so-called because they generally come into contact when the threaded connection is initially “stabbed” together to be made-up, and load flanks 13A and 13B are so-called because they carry tensile load exerted on a made-up connection within a string of casing hanging in a wellbore. Both pin and box members have taper 16 and thread lead 17.
At least one of the pin member and the box member of a radial interference threaded connection will be tapered, in order to generate radial interference at make-up. Amongst designers of advanced thread-forms, taper is conventionally measured in inches on diameter per one thread pitch (or revolution), and lead is conventionally measured in inches per one thread pitch. Note that lead is the inverse of the commonly used “thread pitch,” which is denominated as threads-per-inch or TPI.
Generally, radial interference threads are made-up to a selected make-up such that there is a known radial interference between the pin member 10 and the box member 11. The radial interference can result in high contact stresses between the flanks of the pin threads and the mating flanks of the female threads.
It is well understood by those skilled in the art that radial interference connections are inexpensive to manufacture, but are very inefficient connections for the transfer of loads across the connection. Any axial tensile loads, axial compression loads, bending loads, or torsional loads applied to a made-up radial interference connection will result in radial stresses, which translate into hoop stresses. It is often the case, particularly for thin-walled pipe, that the load-carrying capacity of a radial interference threaded connection is limited by these accumulated hoop stresses. For this reason, the range of acceptable make-up torques for a radial interference connection is typically quite small. As a result, it is frequently a challenge in the field to make-up radial interference connections within the acceptable make-up torque range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,605 (“the '605 patent”) discloses an insulative threaded connection for metal tubulars to be placed in wells or for other metal pipe. An embodiment disclosed in the '605 patent is shown in FIG. 1B. The insulative threaded connection uses an API round thread profile similar to the profile shown in FIG. 1A. The insulative threaded connection has a pin member 10 and a box member 11. The insulative properties of the connection are provided by the combination of an electrically insulating layer 22 (a solid particle-loaded epoxy coating applied to the box member 11), and thread compound 23, which is a liquid epoxy resin used as thread compound. The thread compound 23 is cured after make-up of the connection. The insulating layer 22 contains particles at a selected loading such that the particles support load between the mated threaded joints. The '605 patent discloses that the insulative threaded connection is used in tubulars for improved transmission of electromagnetic signals to or from wells.
According to one embodiment disclosed in the '605 patent, insulating layer 22 is applied to the box member, the thread on pin member 10 is cut-back to compensate for the thickness of insulating layer 22, thread compound 23 is applied to the thread area, the connection is made-up, and the thread compound 23 is cured. The solid particles in layer 22 have a diameter less than the thickness of the metal removed from the coupling, and preferably less than about 40 percent of the thickness of the metal removed. In one embodiment, the particles have a diameter from about 5 micrometers to about 100 micrometers. One material suggested for the layer 22 is sold as IMPREGLON™ 26X (Impreglon, Inc., Georgia), which is an epoxy solution loaded with ceramic particles. The loading of the solid particles is high enough such that the concentration of particles between metal surfaces will be sufficient to support a substantial portion of the force causing metal-to-metal contacts to form in the threads. When connections having higher bearing or interference pressure are to be made insulative, it is preferable that the particles have high strength to resist crushing under the bearing pressure in the threads. The remaining force preventing metal-to-metal contact is supplied by the plastic matrix.
The '605 patent discloses that the particles are preferably ceramic and round or have a smooth surface. The load carrying capability of the insulative connection disclosed in the '605 patent is limited first by the efficiency of the radial interference connection, and second, by the compressive strength of the solids in the electrically insulating layer 22. Furthermore, because an epoxy is used as the thread lubricant to ensure sealing of the made-up threaded connection, this connection may not be broken-out once the epoxy thread lubricant has cured.
“Shouldered” threaded connections, as the name implies, will make-up until the connection bottoms-out on one or more shoulder surfaces. Shoulder surfaces may be located at the extreme end of the pin member (commonly referred-to as a “pin nose shoulder”), at the extreme end of the box member (commonly referred-to as a “box face shoulder”), or near the middle of the threaded connection (commonly referred-to as a “mid-thread” shoulder). Some threaded connections designs have a plurality of shoulders. Shouldered connections may use so-called “free-running” threads, in which only one set of flanks (either the “stab” flank closest to the distal end of the male connection, or the “load” flank, farthest from the distal end of the male connection) is in contact when the connection is made-up against the shoulder. Free-running threads may be “cylindrical”, that is, untapered. Shouldered connections typically have a “determinant” make-up, that is, the connection will make-up until the shoulder surfaces contact, at which point increased torque will advance the make-up of the connection only very little. This is commonly referred to as a “step torque rise.”
FIG. 1C shows a typical free-running thread-form of the type commonly used in shouldered connections in the oilfield. The thread-form shown in FIG. 1C is a buttress-type thread. Pin member 10 has a stab flank 32B, a load flank 33B, a crest 34A and a root 35A. Box member 11 has a stab flank 32B, a load flank 33B, a crest 34B and a root 35B. Both box and pin threads have a taper 36.
In the made-up condition shown in FIG. 1C, the shouldered threaded connection has gaps between the stab flanks 32A and 32B, the crest 34A and the root 35B, and the crest 34B and the root 35A. At make-up, there is contact between the box crest 34B and the pin root 35A.
The shoulders in shouldered connections are often at 90 degrees to the axis of the threaded connection (i.e. normal to the axis), but may also be at an acute angle to the axis of the connection. FIG. 1D shows a typical acute angle shoulder arrangement of the prior art. This connection has a pin member 10 and a box member 11. The connection shown in FIG. 1D is a so-called “two step” connection with two distinct cylindrical free-running threads: a small step 42 and a large step 43. Between the steps, each connection has a respective mid-thread shoulder, with pin shoulder 45 and box shoulder 44. When the connection is made-up, the pin member 10 and the box member 11 will not significantly resist torque until the respective mid-thread shoulders 44 and 45 come together, at which point the load flanks come into engagement. Note that at make-up, the stab flanks are not in contact in this connection. As a result, any compressive load imposed on the connection during make-up will be carried exclusively by the contact area between the mid-step shoulders 44 and 45.
The recommended make-up torque range for a shouldered connection is limited by the required resistance to “backing off” (unscrewing) while in service and the compressive strength of the shoulder or shoulders. Typically, the make-up torque range for a shouldered connection is much larger than that of a comparable radial interference connection. Typically, shouldered connections can be more efficient than radial interference connections, and often have other advantages such as good fatigue life and the ability to use an interference-type metal-to-metal seal due to the determinant make-up.
“Wedge threads” are characterized by threads, regardless of a particular thread form, that increase in width in opposite directions on the pin member and the box member. FIG. 2A shows a cross section of a prior art threaded connection with wedge threads that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE 34,467 (“Reeves”) issued to Reeves, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. On the pin member 10, the pin thread crest 201 is narrow towards the distal end of the pin member 10 while the box thread crest 203 is wide. Moving along the axis 104 (from right to left), the pin thread crest 201 widens while the box thread crest 203 narrows.
FIG. 2B shows the details of a wedge thread disclosed by Reeves. The threaded connection has been made-up to a selected make-up torque. The pin member 10 has a root 211, a stab flank 213, a load flank 214, and a crest 215. The box member 11 has a root 221, a stab flank 222, a load flank 223, and a crest 224. Note that at a selected make-up torque, Reeves discloses that the wedge thread has selected interference between the stab flanks 213 and 222, the load flanks 214 and 223, root 211 and crest 224, and root 221 and crest 215.
FIG. 2C shows the details of a wedge thread at make-up according to U.S. Pat. No. RE 30,647 (“Blose”) issued to Blose, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The pin member 10 has a root 211, a stab flank 213, a load flank 214, and a crest 215. The box member 11 has a root 221, a stab flank 222, a load flank 223, and a crest 224. A wedge thread built according to Blose and made-up to a selected make-up has a selected interference between stab flanks 213 and 222, and between load flanks 214 and 223, but has clearance between root 211 and crest 224 and root 221 and crest 215.
Wedge thread connections according to the Reeves may provide an excellent thread seal because all of the thread surfaces are in contact at a selected make-up, including the load flanks, stab flanks, and root-crest surfaces. This thread seal can provide a backup to other sealing mechanisms, or it can be used alone. Wedge threads as disclosed by Reeves have largely replaced those taught by Blose in part because the root-crest clearances taught by Blose may prevent the connection from being able to seal at high pressures.
Wedge threads are also extensively disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,954 issued to Ortloff, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,605 issued to Mott, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,240 issued to Mott, and all assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. While these wedge threads disclose wedge threads with a generally dovetail-shaped thread form, wedge threads do not have any particular thread form.
A wedge thread with a semi-dovetailed thread form is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,239 issued to Klementich, and incorporated herein by reference. A wedge thread with a thread form which includes a multi-faceted load flank or stab flank is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,706 issued to Church, and incorporated herein by reference. Each of the above thread forms is considered to be a “trapped” thread form, meaning that at least a portion of the corresponding load flanks and/or corresponding stab flanks axially overlap. A “trapped” wedge thread form will resist separation of the box and pin threads when the connection is made-up and under load. An “open” (i.e. not trapped) thread form with a generally rectangular shape is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,880 issued to Watts.
The rate at which the threads change in width along the connection is defined by a variable commonly known as a “wedge ratio.” As used herein, “wedge ratio,” although technically not a ratio, refers to the difference between the stab flank lead and the load flank lead, which causes the threads to vary in width along the connection. A detailed discussion of wedge ratios is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,436 issued to Mallis, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. That patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Currently, there is a lack of high-strength threaded connections with insulative properties and capable of repeated making-up and breaking-out.